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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. drill — the tool
  6. perch — the fish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. drill — army training
  10. tear — from crying
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a match
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. toast — bread
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. game — wild animals
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com